Alice Springs Santa Gertrudis breeders Trish and Lance Cramer have admired Drensmaine bulls on a number of occasions but Tuesday’s Barcoo Santa Breeders sale was the first time they were the winning bidders for one.
They paid the top price of $28,000 for Drensmaine Coach, a poll bull sired by Drensmaine Yukon, at a sale which saw a clearance of 71 bulls or 82.5 per cent of the combined offering from Drensmaine, based at Tambo, and the Blackall stud Forest Park.
The top price recorded by the latter was $13,000, for Forest Park Hero, who was purchased by Ray and Kevin Ellevsen’s Ideal Stud at Woodenbong, New South Wales.
Forest Park averaged $3814 for their 27 bulls at a clearance rate of 67.5 per cent, while Drensmaine sold 44 bulls for a 95 per cent clearance and an average price of $6818.
“We ended up selling all our bulls and were very happy with that,” Helen Sargood said from Drensmaine. “Our average was down a bit but we were happy that a lot of repeat buyers were there, from the Clermont and Rolleston areas.”
Their second top price was $19,000 for Drensmaine Colonel, paid by the Atkinson Family Trust, Cardona, Blackwater.
The young sire was one of the heavier bulls offered by the stud, at 846kg, and had a scrotal circumference of 40cm.
Moura’s Roger and Roslyn Nobbs, Wingarra, made two $13,000 purchases, Drensmaine Caesar and Drensmaine Classic, both sired by Drensmaine Yukon. Caesar’s bloodlines go back to Strathmore Yogi on both his sire and dam’s sides.
Two $12,000 bulls were sold as well, Drensmaine Currency, purchased by Blackall’s Ben Avery, Allandale, and Drensmaine Chaka, who went to Errol and Elle-May Moller, Edwinstowe at Jericho.
The Sargoods donated the profits of Drensmaine Angel C181, $5500 to Angel Flight. He was bought by the Sargood family at Wellwater, Tambo.
Another Tambo family, the Nugents at Tambo Station and Toliness, were volume buyers of the sale, selecting eight bulls for the two places, from both Drensmaine and Forest Park.
Mitchell’s Currawarra Pastoral Co bought six bulls from both studs, while John and Jo Milne, Loongana, Longreach concentrated solely on Forest Park genetics for their plan to swap over from a Droughtmaster herd.
Their top purchase was Forest Park 9783, a poll bull sired by Wave Hill Envoy, for $5000 and they outlaid an average of $4000 for their seven bulls.
Forest Park principal Sir William Allen said the lack of rain experienced by their usual customer buying base over the last three years had dampened enquiry, which the stud was prepared for.
“There’s no denying the quality of the sale, and we were happy to have strong interest from the Mitchell area, and pockets that are having a reasonable season,” he said.
“Our top price was the best we’ve received for many years, but our average was back around $300.”
TV Fairfax, Albro, Clermont purchased Forest Park Hallmark, a 21-month poll bull, for $5000.
